Ilon Gábor: Százszorszépek. Emberábrázolás az őskori Nyugat-Magyrországon (Szombathely, 2007)

Kalicz Nándor: Az őskori agyagszobrászat kezdetei a Nyugat-Dunántúlon (Kr. e. 6000–Kr. e. 3000)

AZ ŐSKORI AGYAGSZOBRÁSZA-ЛЯ IMlYUGAT-DUN m 1 These finds are important, because all the fragments of the two figurines were in the pit. A Se type figurine was also found under interesting circumstances at Bakonyszűcs in Veszprém County. According to the publisher of the find it was probably a foundation sacrifice and finds around it also support its uniqueness. The figurine was found laying in a pit broken into two parts together with a shaft hole stone axe, a stone chisel and a stone chisel-shaped hematite. All the objects showed traces of red painting. The third Sé figurine was also found under special circumstances at Bakonycsernye in Fejér County. This figurine is not connected with a settlement but it came to light from one of the graves in a grave group. The figurine was in the hands of the dead who was clasping it close to the chest. The figurine, similarly to others, was damaged (purposefully); its head and one arm were missing. A separately buried figurine in a fragmented form differs from the regular practice, which is exemplified by the above examples, and supposedly this practice is related to some rite or ritual. In considering the circumstances of Sé type figurines in which they were found, including the special ones as well, we come to an assumption that the different and special types of functions can be attributed to the Sé figurines is not only confirmed but also strengthened and increased. Moreover, close to Sé at Unterpullendorf/Alsópulya in Burgenland in a small-scale excavation, which probably revealed a small part of a larger settlement, showed very similar figurine fragments and ceramic finds. In considering the above it can be assumed that Vas and Zala Counties were the centre of the production of Sé type figurines in the emerging, formative phase of the Lengyel culture. The above mentioned examples indicate that the Sé type figurines were very popular and well known and have even reached distant lands such as the area of Kolin in Czech Republic. The figurine from Kolin without a doubt was made in the Sé area since it is similar to the ones from Sé in all its details. By looking at the figurines it is apparent that the majority of them belong to one group, even though there are considerable differences between their sizes. Their height varies between 3 cm to above 20 cm. Within this range of figurines all sizes exist but the way of making them is undoubtedly uniform. These figurines have the characteristics of a spherical head or the head is spherical but represents three quarter of a sphere only; mostly long, slender neck; and longer body from the normal proportions. The body is human like but flat; the breasts are often realistically represented; the bottom is often exaggerated, steatopygic; the legs are short often represented separately with applied knobs marking the knees. If the legs are not separated they are column like and longer. Surprisingly the arms are always represented by short horizontal stumps, which Ш ANFÄNGE DER URGESCHICHTLICHEN TONST

ATUET ÍN IN WEST-TRANSDANUBIEN THE BEGINNING OF PREHISTORIC FIGURINE MAKING IN WESTERN TRANSDANUBIA, HUNGARY is contradictory considering the detailed execution of the rest of the body. We find difficult to discern the reasons for the short arms but there may have been practical reasons for representing them in such a way. These figurines were made from well levigated clay, their surfaces were thoroughly smoothed. In spite of all the contradictions surrounding these figurines in most cases they can be considered to be artistic products. The head was made carefully in a particularly detailed way. The eyes and eye brows are incised, the nose is plastically formed from an applied knob, but the mouth is never shown. The most considerable is the representation of the hair style. Above and at the sides of the high forehead bent, incised lines show the hairline. Incised zigzag lines show the sometimes differently arranged wavy hair which falls on the back of the neck. Another characteristic is the representation of a necklace, which in some cases is multirowed. The beads of the necklace may have been made from spondylus shell, animal teeth, bone, stone or clay. Another apparent feature of the Sé type figurines is the representation of some sort of cloth. The most common piece of cloth is a wide apron that reaches the same level as the feet. It is fastened to the waist by a wide belt or is associated with a waist-cloth, which is represented in an angled way in front of the groin. The apron, belt or waist-cloth and their decorations are incised showing a high variability in the mode of decorative motifs. We cannot say whether the motifs were made by a weaving technique or they were painted. The spiral motifs implies painting rather than weaving and within the spiral motifs remains of red painting are often visible. The above discussed cloths only represent a part of the whole dress. There are figurines in which the lower body is completely surrounded by incised decoration reminiscent of a skirt. In the majority of the cases the upper body and the back of the figurines are naked. Many figurines show no dress at all. It is assumed that on the naked figurines the dress was represented by painting that has worn off. Remains of red and yellow painting are recognisable on several figurines not only on the head but on the upper and lower body. These are the colours that appear on the finely made vessels that were made with no less artistic skills than the figurines. The representation of dress on the figurines is mainly characteristic in the contemporary Vinca culture and in other cultural groups in the Balkans. For this reason it can be concluded that such representation originates from the Balkans. The sites showing Sé type figurines are situated between the southern Vinca culture and the north-western Moravian Painted Pottery. Figurines similar to the Sé type also appear slightly later with small changes in southern Moravia but on the figurines of the Lengyel culture in Austria and Moravia the cloth representations are missing with only a few exceptions.